1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electricity distribution bar comprising on the one hand an aluminum profile which extends along a main direction, and, on the other hand, at least one metal connecting component, this component being brought into intimate contact with the profile. The connecting component can be either a contact component capable of providing an electrical tapping device or a device for interconnecting with another bar, or an aluminum profile that extends the profile under consideration, in a straight line or through an angle.
2. Description of Related Art
There are numerous bars in existence, intended for medium or high power electricity distribution. Hence the patent FR-1 599 973 describes a method of transfer from one contact component made of copper to a bar made of aluminum by directly stamping it. It is known that aluminum is advantageous for producing such bars since it is less costly than copper; but as it is not such a good conductor as copper, it is essential that the contact surfaces to be provided at the tapping or jointing places of the line must be produced using copper components or layers of copper which are joined at least in places.
On the other hand, it is desirable to make an aluminum electricity distribution bar integral with the tapping or jointing components made of copper, aluminum or any other suitable metal or alloy, or an angle bar made of aluminum by forming an assembly that is very strong mechanically.
This invention aims to make possible the joining of a connecting component such as a contact component or another profile to the aluminum profile in a simple manner that is electrically reliable and mechanically strong.
According to the invention, the metal connecting component is assembled to the profile by several aligned lobes of complementary shape at the edges of the metal component and of the profile, the lobes having a head and a neck of width less than the width of the head and providing the assembly with resistance to tensile forces. Preferably, the metal connecting component has a height identical to that of the profile and the lobes have a meandering curvaceous shape. Depending on the situation, the metal connecting component is a contact component with a tapping or jointing function or an aluminum profile providing, for example, a angled extension of the bar.
The lobes of the profile and/or the connecting component are preferably stamped after interlocking the lobes of the connecting component into those of the profile in order to obtain a line of heads of one row of lobes stamped into the hollows of the row of opposite complementary lobes. The stamping marks on the lobes can be dish-shaped or cone shaped.
When the connecting component is a contact component, which advantageously can be made of copper, a brazing solder with a melting point greater than about 500.degree. is deposited on the winding joint line between lobes opposite the profile and the contact component.